Violet Haze
by Ayane Sakurai
Summary: Disappointed with Shura's low power levels, Yomi creates a new heir . . . or rather, heiress. With the upcoming Demon World tournament, she enters with the thought that her main goal is to defeat the heir of Mukuro. HieiXOC
1. Prologue: The New Heir

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. Only Kiharu.**

**Violet Haze  
****Prologue: The New Heir**

_11:52 PM_

_Gandara,Demon World_

It was nearing midnight in Demon World. A tall man was standing before a large incubation tank. The tank was filled with radiating orange fluid that surrounded a large pulsating egg. The man could not see the egg, for he was blind, but he very well knew it was there. And judging from the energy waves emitting from it, hatching was imminent.

"Youda, come forth," he announced through the darkness. A small demon with dark green skin hobbled over to the owner of the voice.

"Yes, Lord Yomi?" he asked, looking up at his lord. Yomi smirked.

"Take a look at the tank." Youda looked inside and saw the large egg shaking violently. It was even starting to crack. Youda recalled this event before, when Yomi's first creation, his "son" Shura, was about to hatch from the incubation tank.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he praised, still sensing the energy waves coming from within the tank. "I can tell this will be a much worthier heir."

"My lord, isn't that a bit harsh to say?" questioned Youda, still in awe of how close the egg was to hatching. "I mean, Shura has been trying since the last tournament to sharpen his skills and impress you."

Yomi was unmoved. "Yes, Shura has made progress but I feel I have created a much more formidable heir to challenge the heirs for the late Raizen and Mukuro."

It was almost three years ago when the first Demon World Tournament went underway. Before this new democracy brought on by the Tournament, there were three kings; Yomi, Mukuro, and Raizen. All three were powerful demons who were all stalemated when it came to fighting. That was, until Raizen fell in love with a human woman, therefore vowing to never eat humans again.

The three kings all had different conflicts with the issue of using humans as food. Raizen wanted demons to stop eating humans. Mukuro wanted to curb their appetite of humans, but their stomach could only be sufficed by consuming humans. However, Yomi thought that they should just be free to eat as many humans as they wanted.

It was this difference that made the three kings war with each other, going on for over 500 years. Finally, the three kings all decided to get a strong fighter for their side. Yomi wanted Kurama, a former ally that was known as the spirit fox theif, Yoko. Raizen wanted Yusuke Urameshi, a boy that had the blood of the Ma-zoku flowing through his veins, dubbing him a half-demon. And Mukuro wanted Hiei, a fire demon with an icy heart and a dark past.

From malnutrition, Raizen passed on, leaving Yusuke his kingdom. Yusuke then proposed a tournament to decide who would rule over Demon World. Mukuro and Yomi accepted Yusuke's terms and hence the Demon World Tournament was created. To everyone's surprise, the winner of the tournament was a noble demon by the name of Enki. The losers of the tournament were assigned to patrol around Demon World, erasing the memories of any human that happened to come across their world. For a moment, there was peace between the worlds.

However, blood has been running cold lately. Someone had assassinated Enki. No one knew who it was, though many suspected it was Mukuro or Yomi, angered by the fact that they had lost their kingdoms. Some even thought the two teamed up and overpowered him. Whatever the case, there was need for a new king. And the Demon World Tournament was coming up.

In preparation for the last tournament, Yomi had created a "son" that he named Shura to fight in the tournament. His reasons for spawning this boy were unknown to anyone but Yomi and his advisor, Youda. Shura had failed in the last tournament, losing to Yomi, and now Yomi was creating a more successful, more powerful heir.

"Father!" cried a small boy, a single horn in the middle of his forehead. "I did it! I mastered the shield technique you taught me."

Yomi grew a dark smile. "So you did, did you? Well," he chuckled darkly, "there's no need for you to practice anymore."

Shura was puzzled and stared questionably at his so-called father. "But Father, I don't get it. The tournament's coming up in a few months. I have to train!"

"Shura, you will not be training during the next few months . . . nor will you be breathing."

"Honestly, sire, can't you spare the boy?" suggested Youda tentatively.

"Silence, Youda!" barked Yomi. "It is necessary."

Shura was quivering, his whole body shaking with fear. "Father . . ."

Within the incubation tank, the egg had a long jagged crack running down the side of it. Yomi smirked darkly. He knew it was coming. The egg began to glow a bright white color before bursting into a thousand pieces. The burst was so strong, it shattered the incubation tank to pieces.

Shura stared at the radiating orange fluid that was flowing onto the floor. It was the very same fluid that had nurtured him and the same fluid Yomi used to create him. What was going on?

From the large pool of orange goo a figure stood up. The mold of the figure was that of a person. Huge clumps of the goo were fastened tightly to their skin. Yomi knew what had just happened and felt himself smile. His creation had just been birthed.

Shura saw that the slowly rising person was coming near him. He saw they had a long mane of dark green hair and their eyes were closed. It wasn't until he saw the figure's well-matured breasts that he could tell the thing that had blown up the tank was female.

"Father . . . what is going on?" asked Shura, every ounce of his voice entwined with fear and horror.

Yomi turned around to face his son. "Shura, I have no further use for you."

The woman before Shura held her right hand over her heart. Her fingernails instantly grew six inches longer. "Father . . ." Shura's heart pounded in his head loudly. He was truly afraid. He had never felt so terrified in his life.

"Goodbye, my son."

Before Shura could even blink, his head had been cleanly severed off. The woman licked his blood off her fingernails, smiling as though his blood was a delicacy. She turned to face Yomi and bowed down before him.

"Youda, fetch a kimono from the storage room," commanded Yomi. "I'd hate to have her running around nude."

"Y-Yes, sir!" Youda scuffled off quickly, in terror of what had just happened. Yomi's new creation had just decapitated his son and he was smiling about it! He knew Yomi could be cruel but this was just evil!

The young woman rose up to her feet and opened her eyes, revealing a purple shade. Like Yomi, she also bore horns on her head, though not as many. Only two on either side of her forehead, making her appear like the daughter of the devil himself.

"Welcome into the world, my daughter," he said with a grin. "Well done on killing the boy. It only took you one slice."

"I wouldn't do anything less, Father," said the young woman in serious tone.

Yomi grimaced evilly.

"Good." He glanced at the young woman and noticed something odd. With the long dark green hair and violet eyes she resembled someone he had encountered long ago. "Hmm . . . interesting," said Yomi, pursing his lips.

"What's interesting, Father?" asked the woman in response.

"When Shura was created, he resembled a much younger me. You, however, look much like someone else."

"And who would that be?"

"A princess," said Yomi. "And not just any princess. Back in your old man's thieving days, we came across a castle. There was a very lovely princess with striking features. When we tried to plunder the castle's rich treasures, the princess attacked us. She was fairly strong but I had the honor of killing her."

The young woman blinked. "I see."

"So . . . how about I grant you a name, kid?" suggested Yomi.

The young woman shrugged.

"Very well, then. Your name will be . . . Kiharu. After that princess from so long ago. My, you look just like her!"

"Kiharu . . ." she said to herself. "That is my name."

"Yes."

Youda returned to the room carrying a folded kimono in his hands. The kimono was made with black silk and had a gold dragon embroidered on both of the sleeves. Youda bowed humbly to Yomi and handed him the kimono. "Why, thank you, Youda," said Yomi, accepting the clothing. "Kiharu, why don't you head down to the showers and clean yourself off?"

"Yes, Father," she said with a nod.

"Youda, take her to the shower room, ok?"

"Yes, sir." Youda walked over to Kiharu and led her out of the room. When Youda and Kiharu had left, Yomi approached the headless body of his former son. Shura's body lie on its stomach, fresh blood still leaking from where his head once was. This was a remarkable cut.

Kiharu sliced off Shura's head so clean that the bones appeared to have been filed down. The cut was not jagged in any way, for where Shura's head had been was flat as a table, smooth all around the edges. As Yomi predicted, Kiharu was going to be a very promising heir. He still had a few months to train her up before the tournament.

Around ten minutes passed before Kiharu entered the room again, this time fully clothed. She was wearing the black kimono and the gold obi was tied around her thin frame. The kimono also had a slit to the knees, making it easier for Kiharu to move her legs.

"Did you enjoy your shower?" Yomi asked his daughter.

"It was fine," she said, tossing her dark green mane back.

"Kiharu, I noticed the splendid job you did on your brother's decapitation. What do you say to being able to fight a real challenge?"

"What do you propose?" she asked, leaning in.

"I propose you and I enter what is called the Demon World Tournament."

"Demon World Tournament . . ." Kiharu ran a hand through her wet hair. "What's that?"

"It's a tournament where demons like us all come together and duke it out to see who will become ruler of Demon World. True, we do get a few handfuls of weaklings in the tournament but some of them are real fighters, too."

"Like who, for instance?" said Kiharu, curious to learn more about this tournament. Actually, she seemed a bit more interested in the contenders than the tournament itself.

"Hmm . . . well, Yusuke Urameshi will probably be in there again," thought Yomi pensively.

"Who?"

"He's a half-demon and the heir of Raizen, a former Demon World ruler. He fought against your old man in the tournament and it nearly ended in a draw but I came out on top."

"But you didn't win," analyzed Kiharu, "for you are not the ruler of Demon World."

Yomi chuckled. "Yes, I did lose in the end but I feel that this time I'll do even better. And with my training, who knows? You may end up against Urameshi."

"Who else? Who else may fight?" Kiharu was clearly intrigued to find out what kind of demons would be fighting in this tournament.

"Well, I doubt Kurama's going to show. He's a fox demon trapped in a human body. He did fairly well last time but I don't think he's coming back. Oh, and then there's Mukuro's boy, Hiei."

"Hiei? What kind of demon is he?"

"I'm pretty sure he's a fire demon," reasoned Yomi, stroking his chin in thought, "and he's probably the heir for Mukuro. She's also a former Demon World lord who lost in the tournament. Unlike Raizen, she's still alive. Anyhow, Hiei and Mukuro eventually got matched up to fight. When those two fought, it was a pretty intense battle that had the whole stadium talking. A few spectators were gossiping that maybe those two had fallen in love, judging by how they didn't seem to be fighting to hurt each other. Even now people speak of how the two are having sexual relations."

Kiharu got a twisted look of repulse on her face. "Incest?" she said, almost gagging on the word.

"Incest? What do you mean, Kiharu?"

"Well, you said Hiei was Mukuro's boy, so he's her son, right?"

Yomi laughed, amused by Kiharu's assumption. "No, no," he said, shaking his head, "he isn't her son. When I said boy, I meant something along the lines of . . . her right-hand man."

"Oh," said Kiharu, slightly embarrassed that she drew that conclusion. "Well, these guys sound like they might be fun to beat."

"Oh, confident, are we?" Yomi chuckled at her cockiness. "Yes, I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself in the tournament. If we're going to enter, we have to start training now."

Kiharu nodded. "Yes, Father. I will train up and defeat anyone who comes in my path."

Yomi paused. "Even me?"

Kiharu blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You heard me. What if you get matched up against me?"

Kiharu hesitated before giving her answer.

"Then I'll just have to take you down."

Yomi laughed and walked over to his daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Well, we'd better get started. That tournament's coming up pretty soon."

Yomi was very pleased with how skilled his "daughter" was. She could take a punch and give it right back. Of course, her powers weren't nearly as great as his, but with more training she'd prove to be a most worthy heir. She was filled with effrontery and temerity and refused to give up. She looked defeated with gashes that profusely leaked blood and festering burns on her arms, not to mention the fact that the sleeves of her kimono had been ripped clean off and had rips and tears in the seams all around; even her dark green hair had collected droplets of blood and dirt in it. But her face was unmoved. She wore a blank, stony face as she gazed at him with violet eyes. Miraculously, she didn't even seem short of breath.

"I think we'll stop for now," said Yomi, batting the dust off of his fighting robes. "That's enough for today."

"No," said Kiharu in a daring voice. "I want to stay here and keep going until I've knocked you flat!"

Yomi chuckled but shook his head disapprovingly. "Such cockiness is not wise. Knowing one's limits is important to training."

"Yes, but so is surpassing your limits!" she hissed vilely.

Knowing that she wasn't about to give up, Yomi quickly appeared behind her and applied pressure to a spot on the back of her neck. She inhaled sharply before falling unconscious to the ground. Like in humans, the back of the neck had a pressure point that, when pressure was applied, could possibly knock the person out. He slung the limp Kiharu over his shoulder and took her inside to heal her wounds. As he applied ointment onto her open wounds, he couldn't help but smile.

Once all her wounds had been cleaned, bandaged, or healed completely, Yomi laid her to rest a moment. It took her five minutes before she awoke, staring venomously at him. "I told you I wanted to finish the fight, old man!" she spat with anger in her eyes. Yomi chuckled. He found her short-fused temper to be most droll.

"Now, Kiharu," he began in a lecturing manner, "if you're going to be my heir I can't have you die by my hands. After all, there is a certain someone I wish to see you kill before your own death."

"And who would that be?"

"Hiei," said Yomi flatly. "Mukuro and I have been talking about pitting our heirs against each other in the next tournament. I want to witness your fight against him and I want to see a lovely fountain of his blood shower over you as you massacre the boy."

"Heh, we'll see," she said with a slight smirk. "In other words, the one I'm out to get is Hiei. He is my ultimate enemy."

"In a sense, yes."

Kiharu's lips curved into a smile that truly made her look like the daughter of Satan.

"Then he's as good as dead."

Yomi smiled in a way that would make even statues tremble.

"That's my girl."


	2. Chapter One: Enter Yusuke and Hiei

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Yu Yu Hakusho characters. Only Kiharu.**

**Violet Haze  
****Chapter One: Enter Yusuke and Hiei**

Key:

_Location_

_**Thoughts**_

**Noise**

_10:22 AM_

_Demon World Stadium _

"Are you ready, Kiharu?" Yomi asked, looking down at his daughter. She was wearing a simple fighting outfit, a black tank top and dark green cargo pants, fastened by a brown leather belt. On her left arm was a silver armlet that had the word "strength" engraved on it. Her long dark green hair was tied into a high ponytail and her violet eyes were filled with determination and focus.

"Yes," she said confidently, stepping closer and closer toward the stadium. Once they entered the stadium, Yomi went to go register for him and his daughter. Kiharu looked around the stadium. Her father hadn't been lying; some of the apparitions here were jokes.

Some demons gave off the as much demonic aura as a chewed piece of gum stuck to the bottom of someone's shoe. "This time I won't lose!" said one blue-skinned demon, with gill slits on the side of his neck. "I will become the ruler of Demon World."

"Dream on!" sneered another with a bird-like beak. "This world is as good as mine!"

Kiharu rolled her eyes. All these demons were basically a waste of time and not even worth killing. She doubted any of those demons who bragged about how they're going to win the tournament and become King were even going to last the preliminaries. She waded her way through the weak crowd, gossip among the demons following her.

"You see that girl?"

"The one with the green hair and purple eyes?"

"Yeah, she came here with Lord Yomi!"

"Lord Yomi? She his kid or something?"

Not looking where she was walking, Kiharu bumped into a demon with a very plump stomach. "Watch were you're walking!" he snarled, saliva dripping from his sharp fangs. He was a tall demon with beady black eyes and pasty green skin.

Kiharu said nothing. She only looked up at him.

"What's the matter? You lost little girl?"

Again, Kiharu said nothing. She only looked up at him, brazenly with soulless violet eyes. The demon was getting annoyed.

"Why don't you answer me, wench!"

**Slash! Slash! Slash!**

Three clean slices and the demon fell to his knees, both his arms and head severed. When his mutilated body fell apart, blood erupted from the base of his neck and flowed down his body like fresh lava tumbling down the cone of a volcano that had just erupted. And there stood Kiharu, fingernails elongated.

**Plip.**

A single drop of blood fell from her fingertips, staining the ground below. All the surrounding demons were staring in shock. Kiharu's nails had been colored a crimson shade from the demon's blood. Eyes went from Kiharu to the carcass of the demon then back to Kiharu.

"Did . . .you see that?" asked one, looking absolutely shocked.

"She killed him?"

"I dunno. I was watching him egg her on and before I even blink the guy's got his arms and head cut off!"

Kiharu walked up to a demon with pale blue skin. The demon trembled in fear as she drew near. She grabbed the demon by the collar of his shirt and the demon screamed in cowering fear. She was not interested in his weak life, though. She wiped her nails clean on the demon's shirt and released her grip on the collar. She retracted her long nails and walked away, all bystanders still in disbelief of what they had just witnessed.

"Kiharu!" She looked up to see her blind father walking toward her. It still amazed Kiharu how a man who was entirely blind could make his way throughout Demon World, much less to have previously been one of the three Kings. Then again, he probably had many years to build up his strength and power and, along with raising his fighting skills to unimaginable levels, he overcame his blindness.

"We're all signed up," he said, gesturing to a button on the red vest that went over his fighting robes. The button was a spring green color and read the number thirty-six.

"Here's yours." Yomi opened his hand and revealed a button for Kiharu. She adjusted it onto her tank top and read that she would be number thirty-nine. She fiddled with the button between her fingers. The tournament was going to begin soon and she was itching for a good fight. Though, judging from this crowd of demons, she might not get one for a while.

"Are you excited?" Yomi asked, placing a hand on his daughter's head.

". . . I suppose so." Excited wasn't the right word. In fact, no word seemed to describe how she felt. Maybe that was because she didn't really have feelings. Sure, she got annoyed with troublesome demons that bothered her but not anything real. She did not know sadness, happiness, nervousness, and had never even genuinely smiled. The only thing she understood was the thrill of victory. That, and feeling empty within.

"Kiharu?" She shook her head as though she had snapped out of a trance. Kiharu looked up to see Yomi looking down upon her. "Are you all right?"

She nodded. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you had a blank look in your eyes," answered Yomi. "You were staring out into space. Are you feeling well enough to fight?"

"Of course!" She punched her fist into the palm of her hand. "I'm always ready to knock in a few heads . . . or sever them, whatever I fancy."

Yomi smirked.

"Well, well," said a voice from a short distance. "Looks like Yomi's back for his second shot at becoming the King!"

Kiharu turned her head. A tall male with slicked black hair and brown eyes was approaching Kiharu and her father. From his appearance, Kiharu would've guessed he was a human. However, he was emitting strong demon energy despite the fact he didn't have any extra limbs, eyes, ears, or any horns or tails. Yomi smiled upon seeing this man.

"If it isn't Yusuke Urameshi!" he greeted joyously. "Going to try again this year as well?"

"You know me," he said jokingly, "I never miss out on an all-the-asses-you-can-kick fest."

Yomi laughed. "Ah, how the spirit of fighting burns so deeply within you."

"Lots of old faces," said Yusuke, glancing around at the hordes of demons that were all inside the area. "And quite a few new ones, too."

"Speaking of new faces . . ." Yomi placed a hand on Kiharu's head. "This is my daughter, Kiharu."

Yusuke peered down at her and pinched her cheeks. "Aww, look at the pretty face!" teased Yusuke, talking to her as though she were a child. "She's just like a little doll." Kiharu, aggravated by Yusuke's pinching of her supple cheeks, grabbed both his wrists tightly and smirked as he drew them back in pain. "Yeowch!"

**Sizzle.**

Yusuke glanced down at his wrists to see that they had been burned. His smoldering flesh hissed as steam rose up from his arms. Kiharu placed her hands at her sides and gave Yusuke a look that clearly said "I dare you to touch me again!"

"She's a feisty one, all right," said Yomi, petting the top of her head as though she were a domestic cat. Kiharu wanted to burn Yomi's arms as she did to Yusuke but refrained from doing it. She had to have some respect for him. He did create her in his laboratory. He was the one who established her state of being in the incubation tank. She was created from samples of his own flesh and blood..

Creation. Yes, that was an appropriate word. Sure, Yomi called Kiharu his daughter and she called him her father but really she was just his creation. She was a soulless husk. And if she had no soul, was it possible she had no heart? Physically, she had a heart beating within her but she meant heart with an emotional reference.

"Yeah, so is Kiharu competing?" asked Yusuke, rubbing his skin tenderly. He winced as his hand touched his burns, which still stung as much as they did when he first received them.

"Can't you see the button, genius?" she snapped, almost thrusting it in his face. Temper boiling, Kiharu spun around and pointed a finger at Yomi. "And for the record, you don't have to answer for me! I can think for myself!"

Yomi merely laughed and turned Kiharu around again. "Ah, she's quite a handful but you can't help but love her." She rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Yeah, quite the charmer, this one," Yusuke said sardonically, staring at his arms which appeared to have been scalded with hot oil. Yusuke then peered over Yomi's shoulder, as though expecting someone. "Hey, what happened to your son? Shura, right?"

"Shura is gone," said Yomi ominously.

"Where to?" asked Yusuke, looking a bit wary due to the dark manner Yomi bathed his words in.

"He is . . . on his own personal mission." His face was like stone. No emotion whatsoever. And why should there be any emotion? He is the one who wanted a new, more powerful heir to clash with Yusuke and Hiei; most particularly Hiei since Yomi was more of an enemy with Mukuro than Raizen. And upon creating the new heir, he had his original one, his son so to speak, decapitated.

"Personal mission?" repeated Yusuke tentatively.

There was still no change in Yomi's visage. "Yes. He's off on his own fighting a personal battle. He won't be here this time."

Yusuke chuckled nervously, rubbing the nape of his neck. "That's too bad," he said, sounding a bit unsure in his voice. "I was hoping to maybe show the kid a trick or two."

"Well, I still have my dear Kiharu here," said Yomi assuredly, who had resumed petting Kiharu like a cat, as though he were expecting her to purr. "Well, good luck to you, Mr. Urameshi." He extended his hand and Yusuke shook it.

"Yeah, catch you two later," he said, taking his leave.

"That, Kiharu, was Yusuke Urameshi. He's the late Raizen's heir."

**_I already knew that! _**thought Kiharu bitterly. She recalled the conversation that she and Yomi shared months ago when she first spawned from the incubation tank.

"I knew that," she said through gritted teeth. Kiharu wanted to snap at the blind bastard but watched her tongue. This was the demon that had created her and trained her. She couldn't just lunge at him and kill him. Maybe once she won this tournament and became the King, or rather, Queen of Demon World then she could send him into oblivion. But for now, she put up a charade that she actually respected him.

"Let us see who else has decided to show up," said Yomi, taking Kiharu's hand. She wrenched it back and put her hands on her hips.

"I'm not a child," she hissed. "I won't get lost." Yomi shook his head and merely pressed onward, Kiharu walking by his side. Soon Yomi came to a halt, as did Kiharu. Before them was a figure with immense demon energy swirling about them.

The demon had red hair that appeared to be a shade of orange and just looking at them made Kiharu feel their strength. Not that she was intimidated of course, but it was still a bit startling to come across this amount of energy about one person. What she found most odd was that the demon had only one sapphire eye, the other one appeared to be some bionic replacement for an eyeball. The demon turned.

"Well, if it isn't Yomi," they said with a slight smirk. Yomi smirked right back.

"Mukuro, you're looking well," he said.

_**So this is Mukuro. Hmm . . . I'm surprised that she didn't become the ruler of Demon World. If she's this strong, her heir must be very powerful as well. This could be a problem.**_

Kiharu was cocky, but she wasn't foolish. If it came down to a fight between her and Mukuro, she had a slightly higher chance of losing. She was stronger, but she was fairly certain Mukuro was stronger. Mukuro was so strong that she was one of the three Kings of Demon World. Now she was fairly certain she wanted to meet her rival, Hiei.

Mukuro's natural eye glanced down at Kiharu. "And who might this be?" asked Mukuro, still staring at Kiharu. Her eye was most particularly fixated one the two horns that made Kiharu look like a female devil.

"This is my daughter," said Yomi, placing his hand on Kiharu's head once again. "Kiharu," he added, stroking the top of her head.

_**I'm not a fucking animal! **_

She managed to stifle her anger, her face bearing no emotion whatsoever. However, she was becoming very aggravated with Yomi's constant petting. She was not an animal and shouldn't be treated as such. And when she wasn't being treated like an animal, she was treated like a child. Kiharu couldn't peg which one annoyed her more.

"Hmm . . . I see where she gets her horns from," said Mukuro blandly. Her eye trailed back up to Yomi. She smiled gently. "She's got a nice face. I hope it doesn't get too thrashed during the tournament."

_**Was that a compliment or an insult or both?**_

"Mukuro," said a deep voice. A man materialized out of seemingly nowhere. Kiharu stared at him with her violet eyes with mild interest. His energy was not as strong as Mukuro's, but he had icy crimson eyes that made a cold chill run up Kiharu's spine. He would be more intimidating if he were more than three inches taller than her.

"Yes, Hiei?"

_**So this is the heir of Mukuro. Not nearly as powerful as her but there's something about him that makes me think he'll put up a good fight, nonetheless.**_

"The placing of fighters into groups shall begin shortly," he said simply. "We'd best be off soon."

"Yomi, you remember Hiei?" said Mukuro. Kiharu rolled her eyes. The way they were talking, as if they were old friends at a high school reunion. This was a tournament to become the unquestioned ruler of Demon World! Not some stupid reunion!

"Why, yes I do," said Yomi matter-of-factly. "Going to give it your all, Hiei?"

"Hn," grunted Hiei.

Mukuro was the next to speak. "Hiei, this is Yomi's daughter, Kiharu. She's competing in the tournament as well."

Hiei barely skimmed his eyes over her. "She's weak," he said bluntly. Kiharu's hands curled into fists. "And short-tempered as well," he added, seeing her balled fists.

"Shut up!" she snarled, already angry from Yomi's treating her like a pet or some sort of child. Hiei's insult just made things worse. Maybe she wasn't a top-notch demon like Mukuro but her prowess was of a fairly high level and mockery of that was not tolerated.

"Ah, she speaks. What else can she do?" said Hiei scathingly.

"Bastard!"

Mukuro and Yomi chuckled at the sight of Kiharu's outrage. "Attention everyone!" announced a voice from seemingly nowhere. Kiharu realized it was a woman speaking on the p.a. system. "The preliminaries are about to begin! All registered fighters must come to the arena to draw lots for the group they'll fight in!"

"We best get going," said Mukuro to Hiei. He nodded in response. Mukuro looked at Yomi and smiled darkly. "Be warned: I will not hold back on you should we be paired to fight."

Yomi smiled back. "Nor would I hold back on you."

"That's how it should be."

Mukuro, along with her heir, Hiei, left. Kiharu looked up at Yomi, who peered down at her. "We better get going too," said the blind demon.

"Yes . . ."

And so Yomi and Kiharu walked into the Demon World arena, awaiting the bloodbath that lie ahead.


	3. Chapter Two: Never Mock a Demon's Height

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. Only Kiharu, daughter of Yomi.**

Violet Haze  
Chapter Two: Never Mock a Demon's Height

Key:

Location

Thoughts

Noise

Demon World Stadium

11: 34 AM

Yomi and Kiharu walked into the arena where they were to draw lots for their placement in the preliminaries. They waited in a long line of demons, until finally they were before a large black box with a hole in the lid. It was then Kiharu noted a woman who had fox-like features wearing an off-the-shoulder yellow shirt and pink shorts over tight gray pants. She had a microphone in her hand so Kiharu assumed this must be the commentator for the tournament. Yomi reached his hand into the box and pulled out a card. The commentator looked at it.

"Mr. Yomi, a favorite from last year, will be in Group Sixty-two," announced the commentator. She peered down at Kiharu. Putting the microphone to her side, she said, "And who might you be, miss?"

"This is my daughter, Kiharu," said Yomi with a slight smile. Kiharu felt her anger rising. She was not a mute. She could speak. She could do many extraordinary things but Yomi seemed to treat Kiharu like a pet or a doll, acting as though she had no inclination to speak.

"Oh, is this your first tournament?" the commentator asked.

"Yes, it is," answered Yomi.

"Stop answering for me!" yelled Kiharu, glaring up at the blind demon. "I have the capacity to process thought and speak without your help!"

The commentator's perky fox ears were now twitching oddly as she stared bemused at the small female demon. "Er–I'm Koto by the way," she said hesitantly. "I'm the commentator for this tournament."

****

I really don't care, thought Kiharu.

She kept her thoughts to herself as her fingers fumbled around for a card inside the box. She pulled it out and showed it to Koto. "Ms. Kiharu, daughter of Yomi, will be placed in Group Fourteen."

"Move along, Kiharu," said Yomi, gripping her arm. "There are many others who have to be placed." He then glanced at Koto. "Excuse me, but might I ask the turnout for this year's tournament?"

"Um, sure," said Koto, scratching one of her fox-like ears. "Uh–there's 2,048 demons competing, sixty-four groups, and in each group there are thirty-two fighters. That's the status for the preliminaries anyhow."

"Thank you, ma'am," said Yomi in an almost gentlemanly manner. It would be more convincing an act if not for his dark smirk and devilish horns.

"Uh, sure." Koto turned her head and saw the next competitor drawing their card. Kiharu observed it was Hiei, Mukuro's heir. He retracted a card and handed it to Koto. "Mr. Hiei, who fought against Mukuro last year, is in Group Thirteen."

****

Too bad. I'd fancy a fight with him.

The next person to step up was Mukuro, who was quick to draw her card. She probably didn't really care which group she would be placed it. "Ms. Mukuro, another favorite from last year, is in Group Seven."

Mukuro walked over, Hiei by her side, up to Yomi. "Yomi," she said lightly, "I hope you haven't forgotten about our little pact."

Yomi smiled, though such a smile would probably frighten a small child. "Why of course not, Mukuro. I'm a man of my word."

Mukuro gave a half-smile. "Good. As am I a woman of my word. Best of luck in the preliminaries, though I'm sure you don't need it."

"And vice versa," said Yomi. He turned his head and faced Hiei. "And I also hope that you prevail in the tournament, young Hiei."

"Hn," said Hiei, turning his head.

"Mind your manners, Hiei," jested Mukuro, chuckling softly to herself. Apparently his stoic mannerisms were regarded as humorous by Mukuro. Kiharu couldn't help but ponder about the rumors her father spoke to her of. Could it be true that Hiei was not just her heir, but her lover? She glanced at Hiei and then at Mukuro. She wasn't ugly, but Kiharu didn't think she'd be winning any beauty contests. And as for Hiei . . . he was fairly attractive if you fancied the I-don't-give-a-fuck-about-anyone-but-myself look.

"He probably has none to mind," said Kiharu, desperate to speak her mind. Hiei glared at her.

"Watch your tongue, wench, or I might rip it out for you," he said sternly.

"We'll see once I whoop your ass in the tournament." She smirked. It was rather fun to irk him, making him a ticking a time-bomb. She wondered when he would explode. Only one way to find out.

Hiei snorted. "Yeah, that'll happen and hell's reopening as an ice rink."

"You're so witty, it's charming."

"And you're so weak, it's pathetic."

"Touché."

"Hn."

Yomi and Mukuro did not intervene. They merely watched, snickering at their bickering heirs.

"Are you illiterate or just immature enough to create your own words?" said Kiharu, hands on her hips.

"I don't take insults from a weakling like yourself," he said, crossing his arms, crimson eyes still glaring at her.

"At least I'm not a dwarf." Kiharu got a deviant smile. Clearly she crossed the line bringing his height into their quarrel. His crimson eyes were literally glowing with spite and his fiery demonic aura shot up greatly. Truly he would be a very formidable opponent in the ring.

"Care to say that again?" he snarled. Anger was too light a term to describe the livid fire demon. Furious, enraged, and smoldering were all better terms. **_Heh, he's not half-bad when he's angry._** It was true. The crimson eyes were much better when they were ablaze with anger. His rough features only complimented his fury. And the black flames that were his hair made him seem all the more dark.

Kiharu couldn't deny it. He was very handsome indeed, even though the object of all this built up hatred was her. She felt herself smile. It was fun to provoke him. To make him angry. In fact, it was hilarious. In truth, her insult was hollow, considering she was even shorter than he was. But still she continued to harass him.

"At least I'm not a dwarf," she repeated daringly.

Within a split second her head slammed against a stone wall. A calloused was tightly enclosed around her throat. Kiharu's violet eyes opened and she saw that eyes of crimson glaring intensely at her. The grip on her throat tightened. "Never . . . insult . . . my height . . . again."

He squeezed on her throat so hard she winced in pain, but she bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out. He released his grip, letting the small demon fall on her rear. "I'll let you get away now but in the ring I'll show no mercy."

He walked over to Mukuro and mumbled something. Mukuro conversed briefly with Yomi and then left, her heir trailing close behind. Yomi walked over to Kiharu and glanced down at her. She was massaging her throat. His grip was firm and she didn't see it coming. She had to get stronger if she was going to take him on. "Are you all right?" asked Yomi, offering Kiharu his hand.

She slapped it away and got up. "I'm fine," she muttered, dusting her clothes off. Then the echoing voice of Koto, the commentator, was heard.

"All fighters please come to the arena to be transported to your groups!" her voice rang. "I repeat, all fighters please come to the arena to be transported to your groups!"

"Let us be off," said Yomi, starting to walk back to the arena.

"Yeah . . . let's."

Yomi and Kiharu entered the arena and Koto had a small electronic device in her hand. She glanced at Yomi's button and punched in the number on it. "Group Sixty-two," she said to herself. Koto took out a keycard and walked over to a door with a scanner on it. She slid the card down and it opened. Inside there was a bright white light. Without another word, Yomi walked through the door and it slammed shut behind him.

She looked at Kiharu, who stared at her with blank purple eyes. She punched in the number on Kiharu's button. "Ok, so you're in Group Fourteen," she mumbled. Koto took out another card and walked over to the door. She swiped the card and the door opened, this time a bright lime green color shone from the inside. "Through this door is a portal to your fighting station," explained Koto.

"Whatever," said Kiharu with a roll of her eyes. She walked past the commentator and stepped inside, the door slamming after her.


	4. Chapter Three: Unanswered Questions

**Replies to Reviews: **

Prologue:

Sanji and Katsume: Thank you for your praise. I appreciate it very much. And don't worry about any resemblance to my story. I won't get offended. I wish you two luck with your stories.

Chapter One:

Dream x Spirit: Well, that's what I was going for. All the Hiei/OC stuff I've seen lately is all a bit too mary-sue-ish for my tastes. So I wanted to try something different. I'm glad you like it.

Sanji and Katsume: Yeah, both Kiharu and Hiei have that bad-ass quality to them.

Chapter Two:

Dream x Spirit: You're too kind. As long as I'm pleasing at least one person with my work, then it's all worth it.

Sanji and Katsume: Well, here's the next chapter.

Now then, onward with the story

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. Only Kiharu, daughter of Yomi.

Violet Haze  
Chapter Three: Unanswered Questions

Key:

Location

Thoughts

Noise

Top of Okunenju Stalk, Group Fourteen

12: 36 PM

Once the door slammed behind her, Kiharu felt the entire room spinning. Her dark green mane whipped her face as she spun faster and faster. She couldn't see anything but white light all around. Once the spinning stopped, she saw that she had been transported to a new place. She looked ahead with her violet eyes.

All around she noticed demon woman who appeared to be riding on giant eyeballs. She noticed that the lens of the eyes were actually lenses for a camera. **_So they're here to film the fights, are they? Now everyone in the stadium will get to see my true strength, though I doubt I'll have to use it on these losers._**

Other demons had come here before her, their power levels not strong enough for her to be apprehensive about. They were all spread out, greedy bloodlust wallowing in their eyes. Kiharu wasn't fazed, even after seeing how much they craved blood and carnage. All of the demons were to wait until the commentator, Koto, announced it was time to begin. A small group of demons were talking amongst themselves but Kiharu could hear what they were saying. They were gawking at her as they spoke so she knew it was about her.

"Hey, look at those horns. Isn't that Yomi's kid?"

"I heard today she killed a demon in no time flat!"

"No way. She's a little pipsqueak."

"Well that guy Hiei's a runt but he did pretty damn good last tournament."

Then the announcement was heard, disrupting their conversation.

"Every demon has just been teleported to their fighting stations. For those who are new here, let me explain how this works. This is the preliminary round where we take only the top demons. This year's turnout for the tournament is less than last year. Only 2, 048 contenders this year, and after the preliminaries we'll have it narrowed down to sixty-four.

"In each group there are thirty-two demons. All contests fight until only one is left standing. You're out if you faint, die, or surrender. As you can see, you're fighting stations are atop an Okunenju Stalk, just like last year so be sure to make use of your provided terrain. With that said and done let the Demon World tournament begin!"

Demons cheered and immediately began attacking each other. A demon came at Kiharu, swinging its long spiked tail. She jumped over it and gave the demon a fierce uppercut to the jaw. It was so intense of a punch her fist shot through his skin and bone, breaking the skull as her fist poked out of the top of its head. She drew her arm back, did a graceful back flip, and watched as a shower of blood shot upward, sprinkling crimson droplets on a few other demons. With a flick of her wrist, she removed the blood that was on her fist.

****

Who's next?

The next assault was three demons coming for her. She extended her fingernails and spun in a circle as they lunged for her. Three demon heads fell to the ground. "Too easy," she said to herself.

Then came a much larger demon that looked like an ox with black eyes of malice. It lifted a large leg and prepared to stomp down on Kiharu. "Ha! I got her!" it said triumphantly, seeing no way for her to dodge. Then it happened.

The demon felt its leg being moved upward. An immense push tossed him up into the air. It looked down with its beady black eyes and they widened as they saw a blast of green demon energy headed its way. The energy engulfed the airborne demon. Now in the sky only a floating dark green sphere was noticeable.

BOOM!

The sphere self-destructed, obliterating the demon it had swallowed. These demons truly were fools, because even after that display they came for her. Her small, petite frame probably made them think she wasn't as powerful as they were but they were sadly mistaken. The price of that mistake was their life, for Kiharu took it mercilessly. As she continued to kill her opponents, Koto's voice was heard announcing people who'd already defeated all their opponents.

"And from Group Thirteen we have a winner, with Hiei advancing to the next round!"

****

So he cleared his group already, huh? I can't wait to fight him!

Kiharu delivered a high kick to a demon's head, knocking it clean off.

"We also have winners from Groups Sixty-two and Seven, Yomi and Mukuro."

Kiharu went from her defense, which is waiting for the others to strike first, to offense. She was now the one hunting down her fellow fighters, slaughtering them one by one.

"Yusuke Urameshi, a promising young man, has just claimed a win in Group Fourty-seven."

Less and less demons were around for Kiharu to massacre. There were less than ten by now. Wanting to finish early, she got into a stance where she placed her two palms together like a cleric. "What's this?" hissed the snake-like demon. "Saying your prayers before we kill you?"

Kiharu merely smirked. "Bondage of the Damned!" she yelled. Instantly, large chains shot through the ground, wrapping around all the remaining demons. They all struggled as the chains wrapped tighter and tighter. She extended her arms with her hands out, her palms facing the ground. Her fingernails grew longer and sharper. The additional part of the fingernails broke off, shooting straight ahead like flying spikes. Seven of the ten fingernails drove through the throats of the seven remaining demons. Once they died, the chains that had ensnared them disappeared.

"An impressive feat! I've never seen anything like it in all my years as a commentator. Ms. Kiharu from Group Fourteen is gonna get her chance to play with the big boys."

One of the women flying on eyeballs flew over to Kiharu. "Congratulations," she said breathlessly. "A door will appear for you to return to the stadium."

Sure enough, a steel door materialized out of thin air behind Kiharu. She turned, opened the door, and stepped inside. Once again she found herself spinning rapidly in circles, her green mane blocking her vision as it whipped her hard in the face. The spinning stopped and Kiharu was near a table, where Koto sat, a microphone perched before her. She looked to her left to see a giant screen where dozens of fights could be viewed at the same time.

"Kiharu," came the voice of Yomi. Yomi approached her and smiled. "That was very impressive," he said.

"How would you know? You're blind," she said, crossing her arms.

"One does not need eyes to see," he replied, leading her away from the table. They walked to a place where they could easily view the large screen that featured the different fights. Soon they were joined by Mukuro and Hiei.

"I saw your fight, Kiharu," said Mukuro, glancing at her with her blue eye. "You're quite the fighter."

"Uh, thanks," she said in a low voice. It wasn't like Kiharu to use words of gratitude, but for whatever reason, she had respect for the bionic woman. She looked at Hiei, who looked as poker-faced as ever as he merely glanced at the monitor.

"Yusuke did well, as expected," said Mukuro to Yomi.

He smiled a bit. "Yes, Mr. Urameshi is a very determined contender, that one. Almost got me in the last tournament."

"Do you think he could've beaten Enki if he'd managed to defeat you?" asked Mukuro inquisitively.

"Hmm . . . it would be a close call, I suppose," said Yomi, stroking his chin. "In his prime, Yusuke could probably slaughter Enki with ease but after fighting me he was exhausted, so chances are the turnout would be the same."

"I see. . . ." Mukuro turned her head to view the current fights that were going on.

"And once again, Touya the Ice Master from Group Fifty-one has made his Okunenju covered in ice, freezing all thirty-one of his opponents. And also form Group Twenty-six, Jin the Wind Master has blown away the competition–literally."

"Weren't those two formally part of your alliance, Yomi?" said Mukuro.

"Why yes. Kurama introduced them to me and they were going to serve in my army. Then Yusuke showed up with his proposal for this tournament and here we are a few years later doing it all over again."

****

Those boys . . . they could prove to be trouble if I let my guard down.

Kiharu had been studying the techniques of Jin and Touya as she watched their fights. Touya froze everyone on his Okunenju and Jin could manipulate the wind and preform aerial attacks. As the two boys came back to the main stadium, she could feel their demonic aura, which was greater than she had preconceived. But still, their aura wasn't as powerful as Mukuro's or Hiei's.

Kiharu glanced at the crimson-eyed male. He was one of the contestants she wanted to fight the most. Not only would he be an interesting fight, but if she could beat Hiei then that would mean she had a chance against Mukuro or even Yomi. The buzz of conversation around Kiharu was muffled as she started to think about the demon with crimson eyes.

****

This guy's gonna be no walk in the park, and that's good. I wouldn't want to waste my time. With that intense demon energy, I can't help but feel a small attraction. But I'm not sure what the nature of my attraction his.

Kiharu was very confused. She was almost sure her admiration for Mukuro's heir was entirely out of amazement of his demon energy. Before her interest with him was the fact that he fought with Mukuro and came out of it alive and his high demon energy. But lately she'd been having different thoughts.

Right now he wasn't swathed in his black cloak but he was wearing a black tank top and black pants, held up by two belts. She saw his right arm was covered in bandages and fastened at his left hip was a sheath for a katana. She was puzzled mostly by the bandages, but thought perhaps they concealed a secret technique. It seemed unlikely Hiei would have suffered that bad of an injury in the preliminaries, after all.

She kept her head facing the monitor, but her violet eyes kept peering at Hiei. His arms were well-toned with rippling muscle. His flame of black hair with the white starburst and bluish outline was a very unique hairstyle even for a demon. She saw beneath his black bangs rested a white bandana. Somehow she got an odd feeling about it, for there was a level of aura concentrated about that one point in the middle of his forehead.

She averted her eyes quickly when she saw Hiei's crimson gaze.

****

Did he see me staring?

She hoped not. Just because she was a creation didn't mean she didn't have feelings. She functioned like a regular being, able to process thought and feel emotions. However, it seemed odd that a thing could feel.

****

Is that all I am? Am I just . . . a thing? I'm not really a person or a demon. I'm just . . . a thing that Yomi created that puts on the facade of being a regular being. And all these feelings, why am I feeling this? Why am I able to feel if I'm just created?

I have no soul nor heart, so I shouldn't feel. And this attraction toward Hiei. What does it mean? Sure, I admire his strength and yes, he is quite handsome, but what does that mean? Why do I feel this strange way when he's near? What power does he have over me? So many questions yet I get no answers. Perhaps I receive no answer because I do not preach the question to anyone other than myself. So I suppose it is up to me to find the answers in time. But still, I have to wonder, why do I bear this strange, indescribable feeling for solely Hiei?

"And that concludes the preliminaries folks!" rang the voice of Koto in Kiharu's ear. Her thought pattern faded once she heard the voice. "Tomorrow we'll start the next round, where the fights will only be one-on-one! Until tomorrow everybody!"

At the end of Koto's announcement, Kiharu learned from Yomi that because of last year, a large hotel had been established for the demons to stay at so they could rest up for their matches. This way, the fights would be kept more interesting since every contender could be in tip-top fighting condition.

However, Kiharu told Yomi that instead of heading to the hotel she was going to train hard. Yomi did not join her, since she demanded to go on her own. Kiharu strayed to nearby woodlands to practice the training. Occasionally, she come across a weak apparition to test her skills on.

Nightfall came when she finally decided to stop. She was panting heavily, her body sore from all the exercises she forced herself to do. Thankfully, her aura would regroup by tomorrow. She walked over to a large cascading waterfall and stripped off her clothes. She stood under the waterfall, letting the cold water run down her nude body. Goosebumps rose on her skin from the cold, but that was all right since she was too numb to really feel the cold anyway. She rinsed the dirt and blood that caked her body, making herself as clean as possible without the aid of soap or other antibacterial products.

After her "close enough" shower she discovered a cavern behind the cave. With a small spark of aura, her hand started glowing as she walked inside. There was nothing in the cave but a small scurrying rat. She put on her clothes, not caring that she was drenched with water, and sat down inside. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. She was too tired to go back to the hotel. The rat came near her, and nibbled on her shoe. With a single punch, the rat soared through the air and crushed into the wall. It slid down the wall, streaking body and tiny organs on it. She sighed, closing her eyes as she tried to rest. She had to be ready for tomorrow's match.


	5. Chapter Four: Kiharu vs Touya

**Replies to Reviews for Chapter Three:**

**Dream x Spirit: You're far too kind. I'm very pleased to hear that someone out there is enjoying this story. 'Tis a pity more people don't review.**

**Sanji and Katsume: Thanks once again for reviewing. Yeah, I love the whole badass thing. What can I say?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. That includes any of the characters and/or settings. I do own Kiharu, daughterof Yomi.**

**Violet Haze  
****Chapter Four: Kiharu vs. Touya**

Key:

_Location_

_**Thoughts**_

**Noise**

_4:34 AM_

_Cavern Behind a Waterfall_

Kiharu awoke stiffly the next morning at dawn, greeted by a cold gust of wind that chilled her face. She rose to her feet and stretched out to relieve the stiffness of her body. She looked outside. The sun had not yet risen and the sky was still dark, so she knew it was early in the morning.

She left the cavern she had sheltered in and leapt nimbly to the other side without getting wet from the cascading water. She kneeled down near the edge of the land she was on and peered into the water. She cupped her hands and placed them in the water; she nearly recoiled at how freezing the water felt. Kiharu brought her hands to her face and gave herself a good wake-up call. She shook the moisture off of her hands and rose to her feet.

The chilly air whipped her dark green mane about her face. Since it was so early, the tournament probably wouldn't be starting for quite some time.

Pity.

She'd have fancied a fight about then. Mornings were very dull if there was no bloodshed. Sadistic as it were, Kiharu almost wished to find a local squirrel and torture the thing to death, relishing its frantic thrashing and squeals as it faced a slow and merciless death. But no. Kiharu merely sat down and sighed.

Fighting was perhaps her only purpose in life. She was created by Yomi to serve as his heir. She was not intended to be of this world. She was manufactured. She had a functioning nervous system, allowing her to process thought and have reactions with the world around her. She even had a sort-of "heart" and even manmade feelings within her. Kiharu wasn't sure how it was possible, but Yomi had created both a mind and heart for her. However, there was something lacking.

Neither man nor demonkind could ever hope to make an artificial soul. Bluntly, Kiharu was merely a soulless body, animated by an unknown life force she had never questioned Yomi about. This unknown substance was what allowed her to "life" without having a soul. So on technical grounds, Kiharu did not necessarily have a place in this or any of the other worlds that existed.

Mankind and even demons wonder about the world surrounding them and their place in it. Kiharu even thought about these things, only to remember that she has no purpose. Kiharu's fist tensed up.

**Splash**

She pounded her tightened fist into the water, forming many ripples beneath it. Why did she have these thoughts? It shouldn't matter. The only thing that matters is fighting and winning. She gazed at her reflected image in the rippling water. Kiharu looked very much like Satan's daughter with her curved horns protruding from her forehead and her icy violet eyes.

Such a person must be destined to live in a life of blood and malice. The truth was, Kiharu found fighting to be the only reason she existed. Could that really be considered an existence? Fighting and killing seemed to be the only things that fate had in store for her. It came naturally to her, the need to finish off an opponent. It was a sad thing to think, but perhaps fighting was really the only choice she had. Her life couldn't have any more meaning than that. But there was another factor, one that counteracted the belief she only lived to fight.

_**Hiei . . . **_

Yes, the one called Hiei seemed to disprove the plausibility that blood was the only thing that Kiharu had in store for herself. There was something . . . bewildering about him. Kiharu could admit, though not to anyone but herself, that he was very handsome and possessed a great deal of power. Still, this feeling was so strange.

At first she believed she was only drawn to him by his immense power, but lately . . .

_**Damn him. I . . . I don't know what this is. It's . . . weird. When he's near me, I get uncomfortable and feel like slipping away. And I've found myself actually staring at him. And when we're having our little insult contests, I can't help but feel . . . light on the inside. **_

_**What is it about him? This feeling is so strange. I . . . I want to see him. I . . . I NEVER actually WANT to see anyone. But yet . . . I want to see him. I almost wish he was right here, right now . . . **_

Kiharu placed her hand over her heart.

_**My pulse quickens just thinking about him. And those eyes of his . . . it's almost as if they cast a spell on me. What could this be? What could it mean? . . . He is supposed to be my rival, yet this feeling doesn't seem to fit. Could it be . . . ?**_

Kiharu shook her head. She gave herself a slap to the face, though she didn't really feel it since the frigid gusts of wind had numbed her cheeks; the constant blowing gales caused her dark green hair to cover her eyes. She tucked her hair behind her ears and rose to her feet. It couldn't be. She knew it couldn't. This feeling . . . that couldn't be it.

"Do I . . ." she whispered to herself, " . . . do I actually _love_ Hiei?"

_**No! Impossible!**_

She shook her head furiously. She couldn't love him. Hiei was a demon and she was . . . well, a demon as well, but not a real one. Kiharu . . . did she even exist? She was a soulless husk. She had no right to live. Someone without a soul could surely never love someone else, could they? But even if she did love him–**_Which I don't!_**–Hiei could not love her back. Hiei was even more unfeeling than she was. Kiharu at least had an artificial heart that could feel. Hiei's heart seemed to be frozen over. The only person he showed even a fragment of emotion to was . . .

So maybe that was it. Yes, now there stood two solid reasons why Hiei could not love her. Hiei was cold and apathetic. He would think love as something foolish and such a man could never understand such a complicated concept of emotion. But even if he could love, he perhaps already did.

Mukuro had made Hiei her heir, but didn't Yomi say there were rumors about them having sexual relations? Kiharu wondered if Mukuro and Hiei could possibly be mates. For all she knew, it was probably true. She had pondered about these rumors before, and was more or less sure that Hiei and Mukuro were lovers. But then again, she was probably just trying to tell herself that to prevent her own feelings from showing.

_**I don't love. I . . . I can't love. Especially not Hiei. No, I don't love him. Besides, even if I did, Hiei already loves Mukuro. And even if that isn't true, he'd never choose me as his mate. Who would fall in love with someone who didn't even have the right to exist? He may as well love a ghost, for I am merely a wandering spirit with a body, minus the spirit.**_

Kiharu felt a faint warmth approaching as the tormenting wind began to die down. She peered up in the sky to see the hazy yellow sun had just awakened, hanging high in the sky. Kiharu decided to leave and head to the Demon World arena. Today would be her first one-on-one fight and she'd hate to miss that.

Being very small, Kiharu had to force her way through the massive waves of other demons that were either going to fight in the tournament or merely serve as spectators. Oddly enough, she came across Yomi as soon as she escaped the giant crowds. He smirked at her and said, "How did your training go, Kiharu?"

"Well enough," she said vaguely. Soon they were joined by none other than Hiei and Mukuro. Mukuro seemed to enjoy Yomi's company well enough while Hiei seemed to yearn to be in the arena where he could display his pretentious strength.

"Hello, Yomi," greeted Mukuro, a faint smile on her lips.

"And a good morning to you too, Miss Mukuro," he said merrily. "Today will be Kiharu's fist one-on-one fight in a tournament."

"You don't say?" said Mukuro with mild interest. She peered at Hiei out of the corner of her eye. "Maybe your heir will get matched up against mine. Wouldn't that make for an interesting fight?"

"It most certainly would," concurred Yomi. "A slight inequity against Kiharu would be that Hiei has had many more years of experience than her."

"But with what we saw yesterday in the preliminaries, I'm sure that she could handle herself," added Mukuro. "Not to mention the fact she is your daughter. Kiharu will be fine; I'm sure of it."

Mukuro's praise made Kiharu smile a bit. She was a woman that Kiharu could respect. Mukuro had once been one of the three Kings of Demon World and had many followers. From a mere glance you could tell Mukuro had a vast amount of fierce demon energy swirling within her. She was powerful, yet did not let herself get cocky or acted in a domineering manner. Rather, she spoke polite and fairly. Kiharu felt a twinge in her heart.

_**A woman of such high caliber is surely a fitting bedfellow for a man like Hiei. I can tell by the way they look at each other that Hiei and Mukuro care about each other. So . . . in other words . . . Hiei could never love me so there is no way I am nor will ever fall in love with him. It is foolish enough to think about love, and even more foolish to love one who is with another. A worthless thing like me could never measure up to someone like Mukuro. **_

Kiharu's thoughts were interrupted upon the sound of Koto's voice ringing throughout the stadium. "Hello, fellow carnage fans!" she said cheerily, her voice echoing as she spoke. "We're about to start the next round of the Demon World tournament. We still have sixty-four fighters left so we're having a total of thirty-two fights this round. All pairs of combatants have been selected randomly. If you turn your attention to the large monitor you'll see what two fighters have the honor of knocking each other's brains out first!"

All the demons in the crowd cheered loudly. Some started chanting names of their favorites. On the monitor appeared to be two lists of all the fighters still remaining, each list containing thirty-two names. The computer highlighted different names at a very rapid pace. Kiharu tried to follow it but the highlighted name changed within a half second. Soon the lists disappeared and two names in digital green font read across the monitor:

**Kiharu vs. Touya**

"There you have it, ladies and freaks! The first match-up is Kiharu, daughter of Yomi and Touya the Ice Master!" announced Koto.

"So the first fight goes to me," said Kiharu to herself.

"Both fighters please come over here so I can send you to your arena to begin the bloodbath!"

As Kiharu made her way over there, Mukuro said, "Good luck."

"Thank you," mumbled Kiharu quickly as she bustled over to get to the arena. She approached Koto, with no sign of her opponent. Koto led Kiharu over to a large chrome door.

"Step right through here," she said, opening the door widely. Kiharu stepped inside and felt the door close behind her. Unlike the door she used to transport to the preliminaries, there was no spinning around and around. Rather, she just walked straight into an arena, whose terrain was that over a forest, complete with a large lake off to the sides. Soon she heard approaching footsteps and gazed upon her opponent.

He had the most unusual eyes, for they contained no pupils. His hair was an icy blue, with four green spikes. He wore clothes that let Kiharu know he was a Shinobi, or Ninja, of Demon World. His height wasn't much to speak of, but then again, neither was Kiharu's. Both demons were ready and focused, awaiting the signal from Koto to begin. So this was Touya the Ice Master? He probably wasn't as strong as Hiei or Mukuro, but he should still put up an interesting fight.

"Let the match begin!"

Touya made the first move, his hands at his side glowing a neon green color. Tiny bright white orbs are in his hands. He brought his palms to his mouth. "Shards of Winter!" he called and the white orbs came for Kiharu. She moved quickly and Touya's eyes widened in surprise.

"She . . . vanished," he murmured to himself.

"Uh, it looks as if Kiharu has disappeared. That was one fast dodge!" commented Koto.

Touya's entire body stiffened up when he sensed a demonic presence behind him. "Boo," said Kiharu tauntingly. She delivered a heavy kick to his back, sending him flying into the lake.

"And with a roundhouse kick, Touya's been knocked straight into the lake!"

The Ice Master surfaced and did not look fazed. Rather, he looked pleased. Kiharu had to take a second glance to be sure, but it seemed Touya was literally standing on the water. He emitted a loud cry as his body started to radiate with his aura. Beneath him the entire lake froze over. Kiharu was baffled by this action. She decided to forget about it and came for Touya. She tried to punch him in the jaw, but he ducked and punched her in the ribs. Kiharu did a back-flip to get away from him and wrapped her arm around where he had punched.

"Not bad," she said, masking how badly the impact of his fist was. Any harder and he may have broken her ribs.

"It gets better," said Touya with a smirk.

Kiharu felt her feet getting cold. "Wh-What the hell is this?" she said frantically. Ice was creeping up her legs and had already covered her shins. She felt herself being drained of energy.

"My ice has the ability to suck the demon energy right out of you," he explained triumphantly. "No one caught in my ice can move their feet or use even an ounce of their demon energy."

"You bastard!" she roared at him. She was pretty much screwed. He was right. She felt her power draining away and the ice had climbed up to her knees so most of her lower body had been encased in the ice.

Touya's hands began to glow that neon green again. Once more she saw the demonic orbs of ice in his palms. "Shards of Winter!" The shards came at her and Kiharu tried her best to avoid them, but still a few managed to graze her arms and legs, each one that hit leaving a cut behind as a souvenir.

"Wow, it appears the tables have turned. Touya once again shows us his ice that has the power to absorb demon energy. Kiharu is totally helpless!"

Kiharu shut her eyes tightly, focusing on her energy. No, she couldn't lose. Not yet.

_**I'm not losing until I fight Hiei!**_

An immense dark green energy surrounded Kiharu. "What's going on?" asked a baffled Touya. He was awestruck at the sight of her energy. Kiharu felt the ice that grasped her ankles starting the crack. With what sounded like an explosion, her energy shot up and the ice started to break apart.

Kiharu leapt backward off the ice platform and landed back on the earthly terrain.

"Oh my . . . Kiharu has managed to break out of Touya's trap. It's still anyone's game, folks!"

Touya, getting over his shock, crossed his right arm over his heart. Channeling his energy, Kiharu it become encased in ice. "Ice Sword!" he cried aloud. Instantly, a blade made of ice formed, his hand frozen in the hilt of it. Touya leapt from his broken ice rink and came at Kiharu. Using up all that energy slowed her down a bit, but she still managed to keep up with Touya.

Touya's sword went for her stomach, but Kiharu merely turned to the side. She tried to kick him in the ribs as penance from when he punched her there, but his left arm blocked the kick, pushing her leg aside. Kiharu kept dodging the slashes of Touya's Ice Sword, until one attempt she was a bit too slow. Touya managed to cut off part of her hair. The dark green mane that once touched her hips now had a side that only graced her shoulders.

"Instead of chopping up his opponent, Touya has managed to give Kiharu a haircut. If she's like any other woman, she must be fuming with anger at her crooked locks!"

Kiharu ran to distance herself from Touya and then came at him, delivering a right hook to his face. Touya staggered to his feet and then attempted to thrust the Ice Sword into her throat. Kiharu gripped the tip of the blade and with a firm squeeze of her hand broke it off.

**Crackle.**

Touya gasped as the entire Ice Sword started to crack. Soon the Ice Sword broke entirely, leaving a very dumbfounded Touya staring at Kiharu in shock.

"Kiharu's managed to destroy Touya's Ice Sword. This fight keeps reversing who's winning!"

"H–How did you do that?" asked Touya, caught completely off-guard.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Kiharu did not answer him but extended her fingernails into sharp claws. She plunged her right set of claws into his stomach, causing the Ice Master to cough up blood as warm crimson liquid saturated the earth below them. She draw them back and used the set of claws on her left hand to take a swipe across his chest. Five shallow lines formed, rimmed red by the crimson about to leak from them. He fell to his knees, still hacking up blood from her assault. She strode to his side and crossed her right hand over her chest. "Goodbye," she said. She struck Touya in the back of the head with her right hand, rendering him unconscious. Kiharu then used her nails to slice through her hair, so now both sides only nestled near her collarbone. She then retracted her claws and heard Koto's commentary.

"Well, it looks like this battle is over. Those last few seconds were incredibly gory and bloody and I love it! That concludes the first fight, pushing Kiharu on to the next level!"

Kiharu looked at the woman who was flying the eyeball camera. She looked into the lens and smirked faintly. Kiharu looked over at Touya and sighed. She had intended to kill him, just like the others, but it was less effort to get him unconscious. She walked over to his bleeding body, hoisted him over her shoulder, and started walking for the door, ignoring the fact his blood was staining her clothes. Kiharu at first was actually going to leave him there, but the least she could do is take him to the infirmary. He wasn't just a mindless demon who was filled with bloodlust. He obviously came to win, but wasn't running around slashing his Ice Sword at everyone. For that, she had to respect him. Not as much as she respected Mukuro, but she still respected him, nonetheless.


	6. Chapter Five: Get out of my head, dwarf

**Replies to Reviews for Chapter Four: **

Dream x Spirit: Thanks. Imagery is important to stories.

Sanji and Katsume: Yes, I tried to make Kiharu as far from a mary-sue as possible because Hiei and a mary-sue are a big no-no

Yu Yu Ninja Sakura: Thanks. I also like your OC, Saiyuri, in By the Moon and the Stars. She deals with her emotions sort-of like Kiharu so that's pretty cool.

STORY TIME!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. Only Kiharu, daughter of Yomi.

Violet Haze  
Chapter Five: Get out of my head, dwarf-man!

Key:

Location

Kiharu's Thoughts

-Hiei's Telepathic Thoughts-

Noise

Demon World Stadium

8: 42 AM

A small building with twin chrome doors was the infirmary. With an unconscious bleeding Touya hoisted onto her shoulder, Kiharu allowed herself inside to find a wolf demon nurse. Two furry black ears poked through silky blue hair; a slit in the back of her nurse outfit allowed a swishing black tail to be seen. The nurse gasped when she saw the Ice Master limply lying atop Kiharu's shoulder.

"Is he still alive?" she questioned tentatively.

Kiharu raised an eyebrow and said, "You're the nurse and you can't tell?" She sighed, using the flat of her hand to brush strands of dark green hair out of her eyes. Touya's blood was being absorbed by her black tank top but Kiharu paid no mind. She glanced at her left arm. The silver armlet was being lubricated with the aid of Touya's trickling blood, causing it to slip from near her shoulder to her elbow.

Kiharu glanced to the side on saw a bed. She stepped over to it and gingerly placed the Ice Master onto it. Kiharu turned to face the nurse. "Make sure you take good care of him," she muttered seriously. "This one isn't ready to die yet."

"R-Right," piped the nurse, a bit intimidated by Kiharu. The nurse immediately began to close up Touya's wounds. Without a single word, Kiharu exited the infirmary.

Wiping away at the blood on her arm, Kiharu adjusted her armlet so it was restored to its original position. The armlet had no significance. It was a mere trinket, a novelty item she just wore. The armlet did not at all benefit her but for an odd reason Yomi insisted that she wore it during her fights. She looked at the silver adornment and shrugged. Kiharu knew well enough there was no real point in wearing the stupid thing. It was just there. It had no purpose. Kiharu had to wonder why Yomi would want her to wear such a thing if it was not going to benefit her.

Waves of cheering and heckling erupted throughout the stadium. Kiharu took it as a sign the next fighters had stepped up. Kiharu walked over to the side of Yomi, who was still in the presence of Mukuro. Kiharu noticed, however, that Hiei had gone.

"I must question, Kiharu, why you spared the Ice Master?" said Mukuro blandly. "Surely you have no affiliation with him?"

Kiharu shrugged. "I . . . I just didn't feel like it," she murmured. Yomi chuckled and placed a hand on Kiharu's blood-soaked shoulder. He took his hand back and then sniffed the blood. He grinned.

"So," said Yomi in an all-knowing voice, "you took sympathy on the young lad. That is very odd of you, seeing as how you brutal massacred your competition in the preliminaries."

"What's it matter to you what I do?" snarled Kiharu.

"Well, I for one was rather impressed with your victory," Mukuro confessed lightly. Kiharu glanced at the bionic woman with her violet eyes. Mukuro smirked. "You had the opportunity to finish your opponent, yet you let him live." Kiharu rubbed the back of her neck in minor embarrassment. Mukuro pursed her lips as she thought of what to say next. "You fight with honor. You fight with the desire to win, yet you do not seem to think that your aspiration of becoming the sole ruler of Demon World justifies killing someone who, like you, fights with honor."

Yomi smirked. "I understand." He placed his hand atop Kiharu's head proudly. "Kiharu had no qualms with slaughtering the mindless demons in the preliminaries since they fought with no dignity." He peered at his daughter. "You do not see the need to kill; rather, you see the need to win. You are odd, Kiharu, for you would rather go through this tournament without killing anyone who fought with dignity."

****

Gee, don't I feel special.

Mukuro chuckled softly to herself. "Kiharu, you honestly would prefer not to kill?"

Kiharu bit down on her lip, sighed heavily, and nodded.

****

I'd rather just win the thing without having to kill anyone. Touya fought with honor and dignity. He was a great man who fought passionately and I did not deserve to be the one to take his life. I respect him. I respect all fighters who have their dignity and who put their hearts into their battles. Those are the people I do not wish to have die by my hands.

"You're quite like Hiei," murmured Mukuro. That statement piqued Kiharu's interest.

"How so?" she questioned.

"According to Hiei, it's a kill or be killed world. He may say that is his philosophy, but I'm sure certain people are . . . exceptions to his belief. For you Kiharu, it isn't about choosing your life over another's. It is about fighting 'till the end, while sparing those who fight as noble as you. The same can be said about Hiei."

"I don't understand. Correct me if I am mistaken, but did you not say that Hiei believes it's a kill or be killed world?"

Mukuro smiled humorously. "That is what he _says _with his mouth, but his heart says different. If Hiei is fighting someone he can respect, he will not kill them. He may defeat them but he would not lay them to rest. In that category, you and Hiei are most alike."

"They both have a certain stubbornness as well," pointed out Yomi.

Kiharu glared at him then looked up at the monitor. There he was. There was Hiei. Hiei was fighting against some sort of water demon with beady black eyes and scaly green skin. The water demon opened its mouth widely and a huge blast of water headed for Hiei. Before Kiharu could even blink, Hiei had dodged to attack and landed on the shoulder of the demon, who immediately panicked. "Game over," said Hiei in a dark voice.

Slash!

The demon was beheaded and a fountain of blood shot up into the sky. Hiei leapt of the body of the freshly killed demon and landed on his feet.

"That one was over quick folks! With a single move Hiei managed to slaughter his opponent!" rang Koto's voice through the P.A. system. "Hiei's obviously brought his A-game to the tournament! Now, onto the next match!"

Hiei soon joined Mukuro, Yomi, and Kiharu. His face had been speckled a bit with blood but other than that, Hiei appeared just as he had before Kiharu went to her fight. Hiei turned to face her and Kiharu tensed up.

"So, you managed to defeat Touya . . ." he said lowly.

"What of it?" said Kiharu, being the little spitfire she was.

Hiei smirked. "I hadn't expected you to even make it through the preliminaries. Touya was an elite Shinobi of Demon World and an Ice Master no less. It's truly remarkable someone with minuscule talent was able to defeat him without any fatal wounds. Just color me impressed."

"I'll color you black and blue if you don't stop insulting me!" she flared.

****

Damn it! I have a soft spot for the guy but he's always trying to bring me down. Still, it is delicious fun to provoke him. He's a stubborn jackass but for some reason that's one of my favorite qualities about him. Well, at least he admitted he was impressed with my fight, even if he did admit it through insult.

"If you so much as give me a paper cut, I'll faint in shock."

"I'd kick you in the balls if you were two feet taller!"

Mukuro and Yomi laughed as Hiei and Kiharu glared at each other, sparks of heated anger in their eyes. The intensity of their glares would've frightened small demon children. Even though she was glaring at him, Kiharu knew that she felt some attraction toward Hiei. The animosity and insults directed at him were Kiharu's odd ways of showing him affection.

****

This is the only way I can even talk to him. The only way I can speak to him is if we're bickering.

-Hn, that's interesting-

Kiharu recoiled in shock, her hand over her rapidly beating heart. Yomi looked at her questionably. "Are you all right, Kiharu?" he asked.

"Fine," she lied.

Yomi gave a slight nod and then resumed talking with Mukuro. They found it fascinating how their heirs had an inclination to want to insult the other. Their petty quarrels were similar to the ones between siblings, which kept Mukuro and Yomi most amused.

****

What the hell was that? I thought . . . I thought I heard Hiei's voice in my mind.

-You did, stupid-

Hiei! Get out of my head, dwarf-man!

-Hn-

Why are you in my head anyway?

-I have nothing better to do-

Oh, great reason. In case you can't tell, I'm using sarcasm

-Sarcasm? Never heard of it-

You're a regular comedian, Hiei. How much of my thoughts did you hear?

-When you said you can only talk to me through bickering. Might I ask why you care?-

None of your business

-Seeing as how I'm involved, I believe it IS my business-

Fuck off.

Kiharu prevented any further thoughts. Hiei tried to probe her mind, but saw that she thought of nothing and left it at that. After the end of the day, the tournament had been narrowed down the thirty-two fighters. Mukuro, Yomi, Hiei, and Kiharu were all still in the tournament. Kiharu wondered what were the chances she'd fight against Hiei, since he was the one she wanted to fight the most.

Kiharu asked if she could go out training again and Yomi recommended she change into another outfit, since it would be cold that night. He told her their were clothes for her in her hotel room. Before entering it, Kiharu asked Yomi a question.

"Why do I have to wear this armlet thing?" she asked curiously.

"Why do you ask?" said Yomi dully.

Kiharu released an aggravated sigh. "_Because_ . . . I want to know why you insist on me wearing it to all my fights? It's of no significance."

Yomi stroked his chin pensively. "Oh . . . well, you right. There is no true reason for you to have to wear it."

****

Heh, I knew it.

"Do you remember who I told you your namesake was?"

Kiharu recalled the conversation she shared with Yomi the day she burst from the incubation tank and beheaded Shura, her older brother.

"Some princess, right?" said Kiharu with dull interest.

Yomi nodded. He pointed to the silver armlet. "That armlet belonged to her. I only made you wear it in honor of your namesake. You don't have to if you don't want to."

"Good." Kiharu slid off the armlet and shoved it into Yomi's arms. Kiharu inserted her key in the lock and turned it. "I'm gonna change then go out to train again."

"As you will."

Kiharu changed from her bloody clothes into an entirely different outfit. She put on a long-sleeved dark purple shirt and tight black shorts that hugged her thighs. With that done, she fled for the forested area she had trained in the previous night.

Kiharu did many exercises, from push-ups to leaping through the treetops. Once her training had finished, she decided once again to rinse her sweaty body off. She stripped off her clothing and stood directly beneath the cascading waterfall. She winced as the cold water pelted against her aching bruises but endured it well enough. Kiharu groomed herself to be as clean as she could, washing off any traces of dirt of dried blood.

Once she decided she was clean enough, Kiharu decided that maybe the heat of her aura could dry her off. She allowed herself to become enveloped in her energy, but once her body was dried she was worn out. Kiharu slipped back into her clothes and decided to sleep in the cavern once again. She closed her eyes and allowed the lulling sound of lapping water to soothe her.

**_Damn that Hiei . . ._** she thoughtbitterly. **_He can read my mind. Now I have to be really careful around him. Or else he might find out that I . . . that I'm attracted to him. And that would just be chaos and then I'd hear him say how he'd never love a weakling like me and blah, blah, blah._**

Banishing any further thoughts of the handsome, crimson-eyed demon, Kiharu fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	7. Chapter Six: Eye of the Tiger

**Replies to Reviews for Chapter Five:**

**Dream x Spirit: Thank you for your praise but I'm not that talented. There are other authors on this site that have put out fanfiction that blow mine out of the water. But still, thank you for your support. It is much appreciated.**

**Kan02: Hmm, new reviewer. Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it and thanks for your review.  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. Only Kiharu, daughter of Yomi.**

**Violet Haze  
****Chapter Six: Eye of the Tiger**

As much as she hated to admit it, Kiharu figured that if she really did get matched up to fight Hiei in the future, it was quite possible she would lose. The large screen that featured the tournament matches displayed Hiei fighting against a woman by the name of Natsume. Natsume was slender with long brown hair fastened back by a pink bow. She looked docile enough, but she fought fairly well against Hiei. She was agile, but Hiei's speedy moves far surpassed her own. As usual, Koto was doing her enthusiastic commentary on the fight.

"Ooh, that's gotta hurt! With a killer punch to the ribs, Hiei sent Natsume flying backward!"

Natsume shot blasts of energy at Hiei but he dodged each and every one, then delivered an uppercut to her jaw. Clearly, Hiei had the advantage at this point.

"That blow was so hard it made _me _cringe! Looks like Hiei's got the upper hand here with his amazing speed. He's so quick that it's getting hard to follow his movements!"

Kiharu watched the fight attentively, Yomi off to the side. She cast her father a glance, then looked back at the large screen. He would never understand. Yomi would never understand how Kiharu, someone who had no soul, could fall in love. She had been ordered to defeat Mukuro's heir when she had first been created, since Yomi and Mukuro had apparently made some wager a while ago. She stared at Hiei, watching his every move. In the unlikely situation that Kiharu bested Hiei, could she go through with the kill? Before she had met him, she was convinced she would bring him to his demise but now . . .

_**Damn**_

She mentally cursed herself for thinking about Hiei that way. Kiharu tried to look away from Hiei's fight, but she kept watching him hungrily. The way his hips swayed as he gracefully dodged Natsume's attacks, the way his bangs fluttered in the wind, the way his lips curved into a smirk before he pulled an unexpected attack. . . . . She mentally recorded his gestures. Kiharu was mesmerized as she watched him. He wasn't cold, cynical Hiei on the battlefield. He was a pleased Hiei with romantic movements that were enough to make Kiharu's lip quiver. It was truly amazing, the way he stirred these emotions inside of her.

Such a beautiful person . . . but she knew she had no right to love him. Such a man could never love someone like Kiharu. Hell, she wasn't even someone. She was _something_. She wasn't a person but merely a thing. Hiei was a respected demon and she was just something that spawned from an incubation tank a few months ago. As soon as she was born, Kiharu beheaded her elder male counterpart, Shura. She only killed and fought because she had no other pupose. Kiharu had an artificial mind and heart, thus she was not worthy of a man of Hiei's caliber. Mukuro was.

She was a former demon lord and it was clear she was still very powerful. Kiharu cast Mukuro a glance, who smiled softly at her before turning her head. Mukuro was not ugly, though that she had a bionic eye and that her body was half-scalded was just a bit appalling. It made her look intimidating, which was most likely a turn-on for Hiei. The only thing threatening about Kiharu was her horns, which made her look like the devil's own daughter. Aside from Mukuro's scarier features, Kiharu had to admit her good eye was a very pretty shade of blue and that Mukuro had the potential to be very pretty.

Honestly, Kiharu thought her person to be much more alluring than Mukuro's, however. She had a long mane of sleek dark green hair and large violet eyes with tints of gold. Her skin had become slightly tanned from the intensity from the Demon World sun and her legs were rather shapely because of her muscular, yet feminine physique. Still, she couldn't help but feel that Hiei would choose Mukuro over her. Mukuro could offer him many things and what could KIharu offer him? Her body and her sham heart were the only things she could give him at the present time. But that could change.

"Hiei's got Natsume on the run! Looks like we've got a strong contender to become king, folks!"

If Kiharu could win the tournament and become Queen of Demon World, then she could offer him everything. She would be stronger than not only Mukuro, but all demons. She would be a queen, and surely that was enough to impress Hiei. Mukuro may have been a former lord of Demon World, but control of Demon World was divided into three parts, with Raizen and Yomi as the other lords. Becoming the sole leader of Demon World would mean Kiharu had a much higher social standing than Mukuro. But even with all these possibilities of how to impress Hiei, who was to say he cared about that kind of stuff?

_**Why'd he have to be born so good-looking?**_

Hiei's fight soon ended, said demon not surprisingly the victor.

"With powerful and quick strikes, Hiei's on his way to the top!" rang Koto's voice across the stadium. "Our next fight is between two newcomers! First up, the daughter of the great Yomi, Kiharu!"

Applause burst from the audience, though it was mostly directed at Yomi; Kiharu cnoticed this when she heard chants of "Yomi! Yomi! Yomi!" erupting behind her. Obviously, they were loyal followers of some sort.

"Her adversary is a star on the rise of the tiger demon clan. Ladies and freaks, give it up for Nurui!"

There was a loud burst of cheer, but there were many male demons wolf-whistling. Apparently, this Nurui was a beauty. Kiharu walked over to the chrome door that would teleport her to the arena. Shoving Koto over, she stepped inside, the chrome door slamming shut behind her. A brief flash of white light and the soles of Kiharu's shoes stepped onto the dusty ground. This arena was far different from the one she was in when Kiharu clashed with Touya.

The earth was dry and sandy and there was no vegetation around, save a few rare spots of grass. There wasn't a lake like the last arena. In fact, there was not a drop of water to be seen anywhere. There was no trees around either, but there were tall, rigid mountains that erected from the sandy earth. It was then Kiharu looked straight ahead to see her next adversary

Nurui was beautiful. She had sleek black hair with small tiger ears poking out through her mane. She had gentle cheekbones, a thin mouth, and a slightly upturned nose; her face was absent of whiskers. The tigress before her was wearing a gold dress that showed off her slimming figure. With the sun shining down on her, she looked like a goddess . . . a goddess with a twitching tiger tail. But there was one feature about Nurui that was not beautiful.

Her eyes were the color of steel and they were empty. There was no emotion whatsoever. She was like a porcelain chinadoll. She had a beautiful face but her eyes were soulless and bleak. Her thin mouth was not frowning but it was not smiling either. Not even the slightest bit of affection could be seen on her face.

"BEGIN!" rang Koto's voice.

Kiharu immediately took on a fighting stance, expecting Nurui to charge. She didn't. The tigress stood there, her tail lazily swishing back and forth. **_Looks like I'll have to make the first move._**

Within a split second, Kiharu had dashed for Nurui, her fist drawn. Nurui just stood there. Could she not see Kiharu was about to attack her? Kiharu was face to face with Nurui and yet the tigress still did not move. Kiharu pulled her arm back and was about to follow through with the punch.

"Eye of the Tiger," said Nurui monotonously.

Kiharu felt her entire right arm tense up. The tense feeling spread throughout her body. Kiharu's fist was two inches from Nurui's cute little nose. Kiharu tried to move her arm. No good. She tried to wiggle her pinky finger. Nothing. She couldn't even blink her eyes. It was then she noticed Nurui's eyes had gone from the color of steel to dull gold, but they were still as blank as ever.

"Amazing! Nurui has stopped Kiharu in her tracks!"

Kiharu tried to speak, to ask how this could be happening, but she couldn't. Her jaw had become locked up as well. "The Eye of the Tiger is an ancient technique," explained Nurui, as if she had read Kiharu's thoughts. "It has been in the tiger demon clan for many years. All it takes is for you to look into my eyes and then your whole body becomes paralyzed." Kiharu gritted her teeth, trying to carry out the punch she was going to use to smash the pretty tigress's face.

"Try as hard as you like," she said in that emotionless voice of hers. "You cannot move so long as you look into my eyes."

"I . . . don't believe it folks!" came Koto's voice on the loudspeaker. "Nurui has Kiharu right in front of her but she isn't attacking! What could be going through the lovely tigress's head?"

Nurui's tail coiled itself around Kiharu's ankle, lifting her up into the air. Kiharu's eyes were still forced to stared into Nurui's. With a speedy flick of her tail, Nurui hurdled Kiharu backwards, causing her back to hit against one of the rocky mountainsides; a protruding rock jabbed into her lower back causing her to wince. Kiharu, along with a large chunk of the mountain rock, fell forward to crash onto the earth. Kiharu knew she couldn't possibly land on her feet, so alternatively she edged her now mobile body to the side and rolled out of the way. The giant rock mass that was falling behind her hit the ground and shattered into thousands of smaller rocks. Kiharu got up, wobbling as she rose. She wiped at the dusty sand that clung to her brow.

"Damn . . . that smarts," she mumbled to herself. She turned her head and spat out blood. And Nurui stood there, stiff as a statue. The Eye of the Tiger was her advantage over Kiharu. If Kiharu charged for her, the second Kiharu looked into her eyes Nurui would use her Eye of the Tiger and gain the upper hand. As far as Kiharu could tell, that was Nurui's only advantage. And miraculously enough, she knew a way around it. Regaining her composure, she headed for Nurui to deliver a blow.

"You're going to try it again? You are foolish, aren't you?" Nurui's face did not change expression but Kiharu could tell from her tone of voice she was mildly surprised. But Kiharu paid no mind. There were more important things for her to worry about now. Kiharu was almost within range of Nurui. Nurui stood there, as still as she always did, waiting for the right opportunity. Kiharu drew her arm back . . .

"Eye of the Tiger."

Within a second, Nurui found herself on her knees, wheezing for air. Kiharu had just delivered a powerful blow to her stomach. Her breath coming in pants, Nurui managed to say, "N-no way. I enabled the Eye of the Tiger before you hit me. So . . . how . . . ?" Nurui looked up and scrutinized her opponent. She gasped as she looked upon Kiharu's face.

"Would you look at that, folks? Kiharu's defended against Nurui's Eye of the Tiger by simply closing her eyes! Now it looks like the playing field's even!"

"Hmm . . . you _are _clever," admitted Nurui, causing Kiharu to smirk boastfully. "However, you can't keep your eyes closed forever. Once you open them, I will unleash Eye of the Tiger and you'll be helpless."

Kiharu chuckled. She couldn't help it. The tigress obviously was underestimating her. "True, true," said Kiharu in a pleasant voice. With three graceful flips, she managed to distance herself from Nurui, eyes still tightly shut. She groped at her arms and ripped off her long sleeves, then tied the cloth around her eyes. "That's better."

Nurui sounded dumbfounded. "I . . . I don't understand. You're willing to blind yourself in order to avoid the Eye of the Tiger?"

Kiharu nodded. "Yes . . . but don't think I'm putting myself at a disadvantage. I'm not that stupid."

"You intend to fight without your eyes?"

Again, Kiharu nodded. "You see . . . I've had a lot of training in my life." **_Well, I'm technically not even a year old but there's no need to go that far into my past. _**"I was trained by my father, Yomi. As many demons know, Yomi was robbed of his eyesight many years ago and is now blind. But still, my blind father fights with such strength that it is rare to find someone as powerful as he is. And thus, he taught me how to fight without the use of sight and since I don't need to use my eyes, your Eye of the Tiger is useless."

There was silence for a moment. Then Nurui spoke in her dull, monotonous voice. "Well, that makes things more interesting. I hope you know that the Eye of the Tiger is not my only weapon. I can fight without the use of it."

"Good, because the only people who resort to cheap tricks as their sole power are weaklings. And it makes me more excited to fight you knowing you aren't as weak as I thought," scoffed Kiharu.

"Well, let the games begin, then."

Kiharu immediately charged into action, locking on to Nurui's aura. Kiharu prepared a roundhouse kick to Nurui's head, who blocked it with her right arm and then swiped her claws across Kiharu's chest. Before falling, Kiharu managed to send out a blast of demon energy, tossing Nurui up into the air. Kiharu sensed she hit the ground some twenty feet away. Kiharu got up, wincing from the slash marks across her chest.

Kiharu stood there but did not sense Nurui coming for her. Rather, Nurui stood in one place, like she always did. "Hey, tiger-lady! Get your ass in gear and fight!" barked Kiharu. Nurui did not reply. "I'm serious! If I beat you, I want to at least know you tried to win! I didn't come this far for a piss-poor fight. Attack me or I'll kill you with no remorse!"

"Looks like Nurui's lack of movement has got Kiharu's blood boiling! What's the tigress going to do in response?"

Again, there was that annoying silence. Nurui was mocking her. Standing there calmly in silence . . . how she despised that tigress! "Fine . . ." said Nurui placidly. " . . . I'm only in this thing to die anyway."

_**WHAT?**_

Kiharu kept her guard up. Was this some kind of trick? If it was, she wasn't falling for it. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said: I'm here to die."

Kiharu was still puzzled. Suspiciously (though at the same time, curiously), she asked, "Why do you want to die?"

Nurui was hesitant to answer. Kiharu sensed Nurui's aura go faint. "Because . . . I'm done living."

"Give me a better answer." **_I don't trust her. I bet she said this to all her opponents and then killed them when the timing was right! Well, not me! I'm gonna win this thing and take her out._**

"May I question why you care?"

Kiharu bit her lip, searching for an excuse. Unable to find a suitable one, she just said what was on her mind. "If you _really _were here to die, then why do you fight back? If this is suicide, then why have you not let anyone kill you if you want to die so badly?"

". . . I may want to die, but I don't want to just throw myself to the lions. I want to be killed by someone who is better than me. I want to be slain by someone is capable of doing it even when I'm at my prime. Yes, you could call me suicidal because I'm here to die but at the same time I want to go down swinging.

"There is nothing left for me in this life. I have no purpose. And since I have no purpose, I may as well just die. Living with no purpose is like living with no soul. And when I die, I want to die with honor. Just waiting for someone to kill me is cowardice."

Kiharu felt a sharp pain in her chest. And it wasn't from her wounds. No purpose in life . . . no soul . . . fighting with honor? "Heh . . . Nurui, perhaps you and I are not so different after all," surmised Kiharu. Even though she couldn't see it, Kiharu was sure Nurui was either smiling or smirking.

"Yes . . . but even so, only one of us is coming out of here alive."

Kiharu nodded. "Yes . . . and that's going to be me." Shivers went down Kiharu's spine as she felt Nurui's aura flare up. All of a sudden, it seemed like she'd been injected with enthusiasm for the fight.

"We shall see about that, Kiharu."

Nurui lunged at Kiharu, almost nailing the small demon. Luckily, Kiharu managed to dodge Nurui's attack and landed a kick to her ribs. Nurui's breath hitched but then Kiharu felt Nurui's tiger claws sink into the flesh of her shoulder. The tigress withdrew her claws and Kiharu sensed her still in front of her, about to punch. Kiharu blocked all of these punches and was about to throw one of her own. However, her wrist was stopped.

Nurui's tail had wrapped around Kiharu's wrist. Kiharu felt her feet leave the ground . . . and then . . .

**SLAM!**

Kiharu's body was smashed against the ground. She went up in the air again then was slammed hard against the earth, causing her teeth to bite into her lip, and thus, drawing blood. Being lifted into the air again, Kiharu's wrist flung back and then was released. She soared through the air and began to fall. She made it to her feet but was still being forced backward. To slow herself down, she crouched and after lengthening her fingernails, she thrust them into the earth. Her fingernails scraping the rocky dirt managed to slow her down a bit, but it made the skin on her palm become torn up from rubbing against the jagged rocks.

Kiharu hissed as her palm stung and she kept her elongated nails out. "Is that all you've got?" taunted Nurui. "I assumed by being Lord Yomi's daughter that you'd put up more of a fight."

_**Why you!**_

"I'm just getting started!"

She placed her hands together. "Bondage of the Damned!" She felt the earth rumble beneath her feet as large, metal chains sprung from the ground.

"That's Kiharu's Bondage of the Damned, a move we saw in the preliminaries!" rang Koto's voice. Kiharu heard the announcer giggle over the loudspeaker. "This is gonna get bloody!"

Kiharu sensed the chains wrapping around Nurui's slender frame, the tigress struggling a bit. Kiharu smirked as the chains squeezed her adversary tighter. By this point, Nurui had stopped struggling. Kiharu grinned triumphantly. But then it faded when she heard Nurui laughing. "So we're done with fists, eh? Fine by me!" What happened next was surreal. There was an explosive burst of demonic aura. Kiharu heard her chains snap and felt Nurui's aura flooding throughout the battlefield. For someone who wanted to die, she was sure putting up one hell of a fight.


End file.
